Apparatus for reducing the ores of precious metals



{No ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. A. BAILEY.

APPARATUS EOE EEDUGING THE GEES 0E PRECIOUS METALS. No. 315,886@

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JOHN A. BAILEY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

APPARATUS FOR REDUCING THE ORES. OF PRCIGUS METALS.

SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 315.886, dated April 14, 1885.

Application filed August l1, 1884. (No model.) i

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. BAILEY, of the city of Detroit, county of "Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful lmprovement in Apparatus for Reducing theA absorbed by and alloyed with the fused baser' metal and the refuse mineral cast out.

The apparatus is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters refer to similar parts.

Figure l is a central vertical section of one form of my apparatus; Fig. 2, a transverse section on the line 3 4. Fig. 3 is a plan of the cover of the crucible. Fig. i is a development of the interior of the crucible on a plane of which the circular line .r a: in Fig. 2 is the horizontal trace. Figs. 5 and 6 show another form of my apparatus, the sections being similar to those in Figs. l and 2. Fig. 7 is a transverse section.

These figures represent a crucible or melting-pot and the mechanism for feeding the pulverized mineral, the furnace by which the whole apparatus is heated, the steam or gas generator, and the method of applying power to rotate the several parts being omitted as not essential to the proper delineation and comprehension of the invention, and to avoid complication in the drawings.

In the figures, A represents a Crucible or melting-pot which is filled with lead up tothe dotted line. Into the cylinder L the pulverized mineral is fed through an opening in the top, (not shown in the drawings) and is kept in motion by the stirrers fixed to the revolving shaft o, and led tothe chutej, through which it descends into the convcyer-box g onto the conr-*eyer h, by which it is carried to the chute f, which passes through the cover e of the Crucible A, and whence it falls onto the surface of the metal in the crucible A. On each side of the box g is a large pipe, Z, into which steam can be admitted by the pipe n, and there super-heated and forced into the box g through the pipe m. Y

Referring now to Sheet No. l, in the center of the crucible A is a tube, c, which extends nearly to the bottom and passes through the cover e. This cover e is made in two parts bolted together, and also bolted to the top of the Crucible A, as shown in plan in Fig. 3. Above the cover e is a guide box and bearing, u, for the shaft B, havingawater-jachet around the shaftat w. Between this guide-box u and the top ofthe tube cis an insulating-layer of asbestus felt-,1: Theshaft B passes down through the center of the tube c below the surface of the metal, and has attached to its lower end a propeller, y, which runs freely in the tube o. Below the propeller y there is a vertical diaphragm placed across the tube c. 1

At'the proper distance above the surface of the metal the nozzles d are fastened to the tube c, curving downward and outward, so as to bring their mouths over the center of the vcrtical tubes c and ci. These tubes have mouthpieces e formed'in double cones, and they eX- tend from just below the surf ace ofthe metal to a point somewhat above the bottom of the tube c. On one side of each of them at the bottom are the outlets s.

Between the central tube, c, and the inside of the crucible A are the partitions f', f, f, and fm. These are best shown iu the development of the tubes c' 02 and partitions as given in Fig. 4. Partitions j and f are attached at their upper ends to the cover e, and extend nearly to the bottom of the crucible A, and through them pass the bottom openings of the tubes o and ci. Partition f" eX- tends to the saine depth, but does not rise quite to the surface of the metal, while partition fm dips below the top of partition f and rises to the cover e.

Figs. 5 and 6 show another form in which the feeding mechanism is the saine as above described; but in the Crucible the tubec does not rise quite to the surface of the metal, and is surrounded by a larger tube, c, which replaces the cover e (shown in Fig. l) and rises IOO YIO

to the plate r, which is supported above the crucible A by the brackets s. Above this plate r is an asbestus insulator and guide-box, u, similar to the one described in Fig. 1. lThe spout f from the conveyer-box is attached to the tube e and delivers the pulverized mineral into it on the surface of the metal. This tube e at its lower end dips below the surface of the metal, and outside of it is the conical deilecting-tube d, with its top a little below the top of tube c. The propeller y is fastened to the lower end of the shaft B, and above it are the radial rods y2, passing` through the shaft; Below the propeller y is the vertical diaphragm z, placed across the tube c. At the bottom of the crucible A is the dischargepipe r', which can be closed by a screw-plug or a clay ball.

When in operation, the whole apparatus is inclosed in a furnace and raised to a heat suff ficient to keep the metal in the crucible A in a fluid condition, and also to raise the mineral in the receiving-cylinder la to the same or to a higher temperature.

The method of operation is as follows: The pulverized mineral is fed into the cylinder 7c through an opening` in the top, (not shown in the drawings) andis there heated and kept in motion by the stirrers on the shaft o, and then passes down the chute j into the box g. As it is absolutely necessary to have the air excluded from the fused metal,that it may not be sickened or oxidized, steam is admitted through the pipes n into the pipes Z, where itl is superheated and forced through the pipes m into the box g, out of which it presses the air up through the falling mineral in the chute j.

In place of sirperheated steam, hydrogen gas or hydrocarbon vapor can be introduced under pressure, to force out the air and be mixed with the pulverized mineral. The mineral is then moved forward by the conveyer 7L to the chute f, through which it falls onto the surface of the meta-l in the crucilole A. Up to this point the action in the two forms shown is the same, but Vsubsequently it is different.

Taking, first, the form shown in Figs. land 2, the propeller y in the tube c being started, the Huid metal is raised in the tube till it overflows into the nozzles d', thence it falls into the conical mouths e of the tubes c and c2, creating a downward current in these tubes,which carries with it the pulverized mineral floating on the surface of the metal, and forces it through the bottom openings, s,whence it rises again to the surface. All the particles of ore are thus brought in lcontact with the fused metal, and an alloy is formed between it and the Aprecious metal in the ore. If all of this metal is not taken up ,it can be passed through a second or a third time, until only refuse mineral rises to the surface. Now, to keep this ref-v use separate from the metal-bearing ore is the office of the partitions shown. The mineral fed through the chute f falls between the partitions f and fw, which retain it until it is carried down through the tube c by the metal current. It then passes out of the opening s in the bottom of tube c', and rises on the other side of the partition f to the surface, and then the current carries .it to and down tube c, whence it rises beyond the partition f and is confined between that and partition f. Here there is an opening in the cover e, (shown in Fig. 3,) out of which the refuse mineral can flow or be removed. Partitions f and fw are sc arranged that-the metal can flow back underneath the floating refuse to supply the downward current in the tubes. The cover c being tight, and the partitions f and f rising up-to it, the escape of the steam or gas which enters with the pulverized mineral is prevented, and thus the surface of the fluid metal between these partitions cannot be oxidized, and although there is an opening in the other half of the cover e for the removal of the refuse very little oxidation can take place on account of the refuse mineral deeply covering the surface. As the propeller g/by its revolutions would create a vortex in the fluid metal, which is very injurious to the proper action of the apparatus, the vertical diaphragm is placed below it across the tubec, which breaks up the whirling motion.

I do not confine myself to the number of tubes and partitions here shown, as in prac tice there can be one or more, as found necessary for the quality of ore which is to be operated upon.

In the form shown in Figs; 5 and 6 the pulverized mineral falls from the chute f upon the surface of the metal insidel the tube e. Then7 the propeller y being started in the opposite direction to that used in the other form, a downward current is created in the tube c, and the mineral is carried down by it, escaping from beneath the tube and rising outside of it to the surface. The radial rods y2, passing through the shaftB above the propeller y, serve to break up any agglomeration of the pulverized mineral which may occur in the upper part of the tube c. The defiector-tube d throws the rising refuse outward, where it can be removed, and the arrangement of the ends of the concentric tubes d, e, and cis such that the iiuid metal can return to the tube c underneath the floating refuse.

To prevent the prejudicial vortex action in the melted metal, the vertical diaphragm z is placed beneath the propeller y across the tube c. After the metal in the Crucible has taken up as much of the precious metal as in practice is found best it can be run off through the vent r and parted in the usual manner.

Heretofore it has been the general practice to recover the precious metals from their oresv ICO does not use mercury, but he melts it with l tubes and partitions arranged substantially as lead and then parts the metals, and thus always obtains a much larger quantity than can be got by the mercury process. The advantage of this apparatus, therefore, is that the assayers method is practically carried ont on a large scale, and thus a much greater proportion of the precious metals can be recovered. This process can also be applied to the reduction of other ores than those containing gold and silver. For instance, copper can be recovered by running the pulverized ore into a bath of melted zinc, which can afterward be distilled off.

I am aware that an attempt has been made to pass the ores of the precious metals into a bath of melted lead both by mechanical means and by a vortex created in the lead by a fanwheel; but

' What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an apparatus for the reduction of ores, the central tube with nozzles and contained propeller so arranged in a Crucible containing molten metal as to create an upward current in the tube and through the recurved nozzles, and a downward current in tubes arranged beneath the said nozzles, thereby bringing the pulverized mineral into intimate Contact with the molten metal, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for thereduction of ores, the combination of a central tube having nozzles and a contained propeller with the side described, whereby the continuous supply .of pulverized mineral fed into the Crucible is carried by the currents created one or moretimes through the molten metal, the refuse gathering at one side,whereit may be removed, `snb stantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for the reduction of ores, the combination of a transverse vertical dia` phragni in a central tube containing a propeller with a Crucible containing molten metal so `arranged that the whirling motion set up by In testimonyr whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscri bing witnesses.

JOHN A. BAILEY.

Vitnesses:

ALBERT D. Pinnen, C. D. Flinn. 

